Burnham vows sustained action to reduce Channel small-boat arrivals

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government would be “relentless” in reducing small-boat arrivals, saying enforcement was being strengthened while safe routes were also needed to undermine smuggling gangs. Speaking in Dover, he said the government was “changing the whole approach” and that officers targeting gangs had doubled on both sides of the Channel, with National Crime Agency (NCA) staffing rising from 376 at the start of 2025 to almost 800. “People want to see this issue addressed,” he said.

Between 1 January and 29 July 2026, 14,128 people crossed from France in small boats, 42% fewer than during the equivalent period a year earlier. Since 2020, such crossings have been the main way people are detected entering the UK illegally; almost all claim asylum and may remain while applications are assessed. They represented 42% of asylum applications from April 2025 to March 2026. Boats arriving between 30 July 2025 and 29 July 2026 carried 67 people on average, more than twice the 2021 figure. The UN recorded at least 84 deaths during Channel crossing attempts in 2024. Small-boat arrivals were about 5% of total UK immigration in January-December 2025, and Eritreans accounted for 18% of arrivals in April 2025-March 2026.

Burnham said 98% of people who swam into Spain’s Ceuta exclave on Thursday had been returned to Morocco, while calling for regular EU dialogue on Schengen. The Home Office reported nearly 300 gang-member arrests last year and seizures of more than 1,100 boats and engines, which it said could have enabled 72,000 illegal arrivals; the BBC could not independently verify that claim. Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf proposed using the Navy to return boats to France, although sea conventions prohibit taking people to another country without its consent. Conservative Chris Philp again urged leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, while Liberal Democrat Will Forster called for closer European ties and faster asylum decisions. Since Burnham became PM a fortnight ago, arrivals have exceeded 2,000, including 326 on Saturday.

Key Takeaways

• Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged sustained action to reduce Channel small-boat arrivals, combining stronger enforcement with safe routes to disrupt smuggling gangs.
• A total of 14,128 people crossed from France in small boats between 1 January and 29 July 2026, down 42% from the same period in 2025.
• The government said National Crime Agency staffing focused on people-smuggling gangs had increased from 376 to almost 800 since the start of 2025.
• The Home Office reported nearly 300 gang-member arrests and the seizure of more than 1,100 boats and engines last year, though the BBC could not independently verify the claimed impact.
• Political parties remain divided over the response, including proposals to use the Navy to return boats, withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, or strengthen European cooperation and speed up asylum decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2026?

Between 1 January and 29 July 2026, 14,128 people crossed from France in small boats. That was 42% fewer than in the equivalent period a year earlier.

What measures did Prime Minister Andy Burnham announce?

Burnham said enforcement was being strengthened and that the government was pursuing safe routes to weaken smuggling gangs. He also said officers targeting the gangs had doubled on both sides of the Channel.

How many National Crime Agency officers are working against smuggling gangs?

National Crime Agency staffing increased from 376 at the start of 2025 to almost 800, according to Burnham.

Why does the government say safe routes are needed?

Burnham said safe routes were needed alongside enforcement to undermine smuggling gangs and reduce the incentive to make dangerous Channel crossings.

How large are the boats used for Channel crossings?

Boats arriving between 30 July 2025 and 29 July 2026 carried an average of 67 people, more than twice the average recorded in 2021.

What are opposition parties proposing?

Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf proposed using the Navy to return boats to France, while Conservative Chris Philp again called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Liberal Democrat Will Forster advocated closer European ties and faster asylum decisions.

Based on reporting from the original report.